Tuesday, June 27, 2006

The Bush Administration's use of the national security card tojustify all sorts of intrusive, unethical and illegal intelligenceprograms has already crossed the line from depressing to comical.Congress, for its part, continues to bend over backward, ensuring itscontinuing irrelevancy for our unitary executive. Shockwaves of gleepulsated through my body when I read their latest, joint smash comedybit.

The new revelation goes something like this: The CIA and the TreasuryDepartment are examining international databases of money-transferrecords, undoubtedly to "search for terrorists." Well, I really didn'tgive a damn about the story, seeing as how nothing from thisadministration surprises me anymore, no matter how blatantlyauthoritarian. But then, Representative Peter T. King (R-N.Y.),Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, made the all-toodepressing disclosure nothing short of hilarious.

The report was presented last week in the *New York Times* and othernewspapers. Rep. King, as quoted in the *Washington Post*, isadvocating seeking criminal charges against the *Times*.

Seriously. He wants to take the *Times* to court. "We're at war, andfor the *Times* to release information about secret operations andmethods is treasonous," King said.

I don't want to hear the utter blather about "striking a delicatebalance." If we keep slashing individual liberties and rights, then"the terrorists have won." I will now vomit after writing that phrase.

Now, I may be wrong, but I do recall freedom of the press being inthe First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. In case you don't remember,that's part of the U.S. Constitution, a document establishing theprocedural and structural framework of our system of government. Now,while admittedly there are outdated parts, I've always been of theopinion the First Amendment is a pretty solid idea. But hey, what do Iknow? I'm just a journalist.

1 comment:

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